Longtime Biking Enthusiast and Cycleway Champion Dennis Crowley has passed

Dennis Crowley

Second perhaps only to Horace Dobbins, Dennis was the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic visionary advocating biking in Southern California, and the California Cycleway in particular.

Dennis has been a driving force behind many local city improvements for bicyclists, and has been working to rejoin trails, public right-of-ways, and paths to recreate the California Cycleway.

And, if you have not yet heard, he passed away last week.

Dennis had more research on the cycleway than anyone. He was its biggest advocate. And, along with many, many other passions and accomplishments, he led the movement to bring back the cycleway.

I tried to get a hold of him for about a year, finally connecting just a month ago. Actually he contacted me. He had put together a Powerpoint presentation on cycling and the cycleway to share with me; he finished it just last week. We were exchanging emails to meet when he passed away, of an apparent heart attack in his home.

His website, CaliforniaCycleways.org, was the first I found on the original cycleway. A lot of the info I subsequently found about the cycleway had his name on it.

His passing is truly a tremendous shock and loss. Read the remembrances people are writing and you'll begin to appreciate the man he was.

Our thoughts go out to his many, many friends and biking enthusiasts, and to your memory, Dennis.

-- Omar Mata

It seems quite likely that there'll be a memorial ride around town in the coming weeks. We'll post details once available.

Update: Note from Pasadena Vice Mayor, Steve Haderlein:

Last week Pasadena lost an advocate for bicycles. Dennis Crowley died of an apparent heart attack. Dennis was a great advocate of cycling and helped develop and then implement Pasadena's bike master plan.

I plan to adjourn Monday night's City Council meeting in his honor. I invite members of the LA County biking community to join me....6.30 pm at Pasadena's City Hall (100 North Garfield Avenue, about four blocks east of the Memorial Park Gold Line station in Pasadena).

 

What's in a Name?
Here's What's in Ours...

We wanted a name that would have meaning to the community of Hermon so we began researching the history of Hermon and North East Los Angeles (including Highland Park and Monterey Hills) via the Internet, Los Angeles Public Library (a font of historical info), local historians, the Pasadena Historical Museum, and even the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.

One day while researching the building which Cycleway Coffee currently occupies we learned that it was built on or near part of the right-of-way of original California Cycleway. The What? Raised in Los Angeles, we had never heard of the California Cycleway, so time for more homework.

The Incredibly Short Lived California Cycleway

view along california cycleway tollbooth

The California Cycleway was an elevated wooden freeway built in the late 1800's by visionary Horrace Dobbins. It was intended to connect cyclists from Pasadena California to downtown Los Angeles. It opened on January 1st, 1900. The California Cycleway fell into disuse in the early 1900's with the invention of the automobile, it was demolished and a major part of the right of way later became known as the historic 110 freeway.

We want to share this history with the community which is why our walls are hung with large pictures of the California Cycleway. Stop by, support and revive the "anything's possible" spirit of California history! (more Cycleway articles here)

About Our Coffees & Beverages

As enthusiastic as we are about our neighborhood we're even more fanatical about the drinks we brew and serve, and this quest took us (naturally) to Seattle where we found a coffee roaster as obsessive over freshness and quality as ourselves: Dillanos.

We've now made a few trips up north, touring their entire operation, and we're very proud of the product we serve. From when we place our order to when you're enjoying your cup as little as one day has passed -- that's 24 hours from when green coffee beans of any of dozens of varieties are handpicked, roasted, bagged, air-shipped to us, and only minutes from when we'll grind and brew a small batch.

If you think this is obsessive wait until you taste it, you'll never settle for coffees brewed from beans that have sat in un-climate controlled warehouses for weeks or months again -- not to name any names, just compare us to any national brand.

So stop by, enjoy the coffee, meet some great people, and see more on the California Cycleway!

Havana Before Castro, When Cuba Was a Tropical Playground

Thanks to Peter Moruzzi for stopping in Saturday to wow us with his new book, Havana Before Castro. He's posted some many photos taken from his book which is slated to hit bookstores this August! Congrats, Peter!

Fresh Sandwiches

We've just added a great selection of fresh sandwiches, all on fresh artisan breads, piled high with your favorite fixn's.

Try our lite 'n summery fresh cheese and veggies, our hearty turkey stacked with thinly-sliced roast turkey, or one of our daily specials.

Free Wi-Fi high-speed wireless Internet connection with drink or food purchase

Now Hiring

We're on the lookout for people-people, if you're such a personable person, call or email us. Oh, you should like great coffee, fun customers, and terrific co-workers.

Read more about our current job openings!

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